Saving no longer as easy as 1, 2, 3: Santander chops interest rate on top account – and now Lloyds is considering a rate change too August 15, 2016 Santander has today confirmed it is slashing interest rates on its popular 1,2,3 account to 1.5 per cent, while Lloyds has revealed it is mulling its options. Santander's change in rate will be effective from 1 November, and it is also making some changes to the overdraft rates. In a statement issued this morning, the bank [...]
Sage leads FTSE 100 fallers after data breach August 15, 2016 Shares in Sage opened more than four per cent lower and as the biggest faller on the FTSE 100 on monday morning after it revealed nearly 300 UK company records may have been compromised. The accountancy software firm told affected customers on Friday that their information — including employee bank details and salary information — may [...]
Poker face or bets off? William Hill rejects revised offer from Rank Group and 888 Holdings August 15, 2016 Bookmaker William Hill has rejected a second, increased offer made yesterday by Rank Group and 888 Holdings. The consortium formed by online gambling giant 888 and Grosvenor Casino operator Rank had proposed a three-way tie-up in which the two companies would merge and contemporaneously acquire William Hill. The revised offer maintained the 199p per share cash offer for the [...]
Bovis Homes Group reports strong revenue and profit growth but states it is too early to tell impact of EU referendum August 15, 2016 Bovis Homes Group struck a bullish tone in their half year results, with growth across a range of metrics. The catch? It's too early to tell the impact of the EU referendum. Its share price fell by more than two per cent on the news. The figures Bovis Homes Group posted revenue of £412.8m for the [...]
Uranium miner Aura Energy to list on the Aim market August 15, 2016 Aura Energy announced today it it's seeking a dual-listing on London's junior market, to help it meet an anticipated rise in the world's demand for nuclear energy. The uranium mining firm, which is already listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, wants to raise its profile and attract European investors. Read more: Companies aim away from junior [...]
London’s rental market stalled after glut of new properties August 15, 2016 An over-supply of property was the reason average London rental values dropped for the first time in nearly six years. Prices were 0.5 per cent lower – saving renters an average of £7 per month – compared to July 2015 according to estate agent Countrywide. The last time there was a year-on-year fall was in November 2010 when the average [...]
Government plans for fracking payments fail to entice public August 15, 2016 Government plans for sizeable payouts to households located near fracking sites haven't been enough to whet the public's appetite for the controversial process. The Shale Wealth Fund, which could be worth up to £1bn and result in individual households receiving as much as £10,000, was unveiled by Prime Minister Theresa May last week. Read more: Third Energy gets fracking go-ahead [...]
London sees Britain’s largest house price drop over last four weeks August 15, 2016 London house prices were the worst performing in Britain as they fell by the largest amount over the last four weeks. The average asking price for the capital's houses dropped by 2.6 per cent compared to a national decrease of 1.2 per cent, the Rightmove house price index revealed. Westminster was the worst performing in London with prices flopping 14.5 per cent from [...]
Whitehall needs to get its Brexit act together August 15, 2016 The official website of Chevening House, the country residence of the foreign secretary, still lists Philip Hammond as the present occupier. That they have yet to update the site since Boris Johnson took over as the UK’s most senior diplomat is perhaps a reflection of the confusion caused by Theresa May (somewhat mischievously) asking Boris to [...]
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan boosts police funding by £3.4m to protect Night Tube travellers August 15, 2016 Around 100 extra police officers will be deployed when the Night Tube launches this weekend, as part of a £3.4m boost in security funding for the new 24-hour services. The British Transport Police (BTP) officers will patrol trains and all 51 stations on the Central and Victoria lines on Friday and Saturday night, Transport for London (TfL) [...]